Found a good stretching exercise for the neck:
Start with your head hanging down, chin touching
the chest. Just hang for awhile, don't force
the neck, just relax.
Then let your head go back (eyes looking up).
Again, don't force anything, just breath deep
and relax the neck muscles.
Then work the sides. Let your head hang to the
left towards your left shoulder.
Repeat for the other side. Let your head hang
for as long as necessary to stretch the muscles.

I've found the left side where I had neck
dissection surgery the toughest, so I follow up
with self massage for a few minutes.

There are several light exercises you can also
do to tone the neck muscles. One is to place
your hand on either the side or front of your
head and push against it.
Another is use a towel around your head and using
both hands, pull the towel to apply resistance.
Works for me
O-O O-O

I can testify that these exercises are great, and I have been doing them for a long time. More than two years out from the surgery, I still have an occasional tight feeling, and these excecises work very well.

Thanks, Powerlifter, for posting these.

Thanks, Powerlifter,

The stiffness in my neck didn't bother me until I started feeling better after radiation treatment, but now I notice that I can't turn my head as far as I should. I'll definitely start doing these exercises, especially since they are easy to do and don't require fancy equipment.

Is it common to lose feeling in your jaw and ear after modified neck dissection?

Leena

Leena,

I think the loss of feeling in the jaw and ear is common after neck dissection. I know I had it for a long time, and became so used to the numbness there that when the feeling finally started to come back, each new sensation seemed very strange and a bit of a concern until I could adjust to it.

Cathy

Thanks, I've been using those stretches since right after surgery & they do seem to help with stiffness. My neck has been getting stiffer recently, but my PT says is probably from fibrosis from radiation. I would assume by the name you lift? I've been thinking about starting a routine to get some weight & muscle back on. Of course then I would have to eat way more than I am now, which could be a problem.

Wow!! Thought I was doing pretty good until I tried those excersizes. Holey Moley, do I need to work on the old neck muscles!!

That on top of 2 damaged rotator cuff ligaments, I'm in great shape.. NOT!

Thanks for the excersizes. Hospital I go to wasn't much help on that point.
Bob

Thank you so much for the exercises I too have been doing them, can't tell yet. Will let you kow tho...Miss Vicki